Dear Yeti

Starred review from August 31, 2015
If you’re searching for a mythical, reclusive creature, an epistolary strategy is as good as any. That’s the thinking of the two hikers in newcomer Kwan’s story, who send the local Yeti polite letters via bird, alerting him to their intentions and progress. “Dear Yeti,” they write, having ascended into the mountains. “We found some tracks, poops, and hairs, so you must be close. We would really like to meet you. Hikers.” The correspondence remains one-sided, but Yeti is clearly touched: he arranges snacks and shelter, and reveals himself just in time to keep them from becoming a grizzly bear’s dinner (“Please don’t eat my friends,” are the first words he utters). It’s a sweet-natured story with a subtle, irresistible narrative momentum, and it’s beautifully drawn as well—Kwan’s snowy landscape feels just distant enough, with quirky touches that include trees that resemble popsicles. If some readers begin to suspect that Yeti might be the hikers’ father, and the whole adventure a fantasy... well, that doesn’t lessen the nobility of the quest, does it? Ages 4–7.

September 1, 2015
On a quest to find Yeti, two hikers write him letters, asking for his help. The story is told almost entirely in epistolary form, and the first note is quite simple and direct: "Dear Yeti, We're searching for you. Sincerely, Hikers." A tiny bird delivers the message to Yeti, who is hiding behind a tree. Yeti is not convinced. Note after note, the young hikers (self-proclaimed "wild, but friendly") trek ever deeper into the forest, pleading their case. "You shouldn't be shy.... / We would really like to meet you." Suddenly the tone takes a turn. "Morale is still high, but food supplies are low." Concern lines Yeti's face. He gathers berries for the hikers, still staying hidden, of course. Then, when he feels snow flurries, he makes a cave so the hikers have shelter. Just when circumstances can't get any worse (a grizzly is about to chomp down), Yeti finds the courage to reveal himself. This Yeti is not large, foreboding, or even white. He is an adorable, brown, fluffy potato of a fellow. If the book is a bit slight in story, Kwan's style more than makes up for it. Flat autumnal tones are set against pale blues and expansive backdrops, while triangular noses could be plucked off at any moment. One hiker has tea-colored skin and straight, dark hair, while the other is a Nordic blond. A picture-book debut of promise. (Picture book. 3-7)

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October 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-A pair of young explorers venture into the frozen wilderness in search of the yeti. Although they experience setbacks along the way, the boys persist as they determine their potential friend's furry whereabouts. Their journey is chronicled in a series of brief notes to the infamous beast. "Dear Yeti, Morale is still high, but food supplies are low. Hikers." Though their paths do not initially cross, the child hikers' request for help is recognized when Yeti leaves them food and shelter along their journey. Bright blue backgrounds emphasize the spareness of the crisp outdoors. A little bird carries the letters as a means of communication between the parties and serves as a welcome ear when perched on Yeti's shoulders. Yeti makes his intentions clear when he approaches a grizzly bear with a declarative request: "Please don't eat my new friends." The sweet and fitting conclusion conveys a comforting resolution as Yeti carries the young hikers home, where they find a final letter from their gentle giant waiting for them. VERDICT This cool undertaking speaks volumes to the warm power of friendship and the thirst for adventure.-Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2015
Preschool-G Yetis have made several friendly appearances this year, and here comes yet another. In this cryptid encounter, two young hikers communicate with Yeti via written notes, delivered by a helpful bird. The boys alert Yeti that they're searching for him, that they're friendly, and that he shouldn't be shy. Occasionally, the circumstances in which they're searching become direfood runs low, they're lost, a grizzly bear attacksand Yeti steps in each time to save them. He eventually delivers the boys back home, leaving a note of his own: See you soon. Love, Yeti. The spare text, consisting largely of the boys' notes, and the equally austere and stylized illustrations are perfectly matched, creating a lighthearted and comical tone. Yeti himself is warm and fuzzy, with an appealingly round shape, looking much like a child in a furry brown costume. Long on imagination and short on detail (how exactly did Yeti subdue that grizzly?), this will have wide appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)